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Poults is Match Play king

Ian Poulter won the Volvo World Match Play with a 2&1 victory over fellow Englishman Luke Donald in the final at Finca Cortesin.

Last Updated: 06/06/11 11:43am

Mutual respect: Donald and Poulter after a thrilling final

Ian Poulter won the Volvo World Match Play with a 2&1 victory over fellow Englishman Luke Donald in the final at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia.

Donald came into the match needing victory to claim the number one ranking for the first time but came up against an inspired Poulter.

Poulter holed a 10-foot par putt on the par-three 17th to wrap up victory and end Donald's 14-game winning run in match-play competition.

Poulter won golf's 'other' World Match Play event in Tucson last year and was succeeded as champion by Donald back in February.

In the first all-English final since the more longstanding event began at Wentworth in 1964, Poulter was behind three times, before levelling again with a 40-footer on the short 12th and then going ahead two holes later.

Helped by Donald three-putting the next - missing a three-footer that would have taken the hole - Poulter went two-up with an approach to two feet on the 464-yard 16th.

Both men missed the green at 17 and Poulter's approach putt from the fringe left him a tricky putt for par, but he drained it for the match and the title.

Frustrated

Poulter - who had had to go down 18 in all of his previous five matches in the tournament - said: "I finally started holing some putts. I've been frustrated for a few months and you have to hole putts to win."

Donald added: "It was disappointing - I ran out of steam a bit and didn't take the opportunities I had."

Victory earned Poulter £704,000, while Donald's consolation was a cheque for almost £370,000.

He will have another chance to take the number one spot from Lee Westwood in the European PGA at Wentworth this coming week.